Why consignment gear stores are the hidden gems of outdoor life
I don’t know how normal people socialize when they roll through a new town on a road trip. I suppose they hit up a brewery or a cafe. But I don’t drink coffee or alcohol, or enjoy sitting down inside. So whenever I find myself in an unfamiliar town, I search for a consignment gear store. For the price of a latte I can walk away with a cool trucker hat, some info about the local scene and maybe a new friend.
For the uninitiated, a consignment gear store is like if REI and a thrift store had a baby. Picture aisles of assorted used outdoor clothing, shoes, packs, sleeping bags and assorted swag. Folks come in and sell their old gear; sometimes the store sets the price, sometimes the seller does. When the gear sells, the seller can collect a percentage in cash, or a higher percentage in trade.
Because outdoor gear is designed to be durable, it can last long after the initial buyer has a use for it. Consignment gear shops keep it in circulation. They are a rapidly growing segment of the outdoor industry; building community and increasing accessibility. Here are five reasons to love consignment gear stores, and five consignment gear outlets to love. 
#1 — Consignment gear stores employ the coolest folks
Never will you find a finer collection of climbers, cyclists, aspiring photographers and crusty outdoor loving dirtbags than behind the counter at a consignment gear store. Want some beta about the local crag, great hiking trails or a river adventure? Talk to the fine folks at the consignment stores instead of consulting your handheld anti-social screen. If you visit often enough and ask enough questions you might make a friend. I met two climbing partners at a consignment gear store.
#2 — Consignment gear stores make the outdoors more accessible
Outdoor gear is stupid expensive. The more specialized the activity the pricier the gear. And we all want the outdoors to be more accessible, right? Some of that happens on a personal level — bring new folks on your outdoor adventures, support adventures that focus on BIPOC, differently abled folks and women. But some of making the outdoors more accessible happens at a used gear store, where high quality gear becomes affordable. You can outfit a whole youth group or classroom for a fraction of what you’d pay for new gear. When my Sierra lust extended beyond backpacking season, I found skis, skins and poles for less than $200 at the sadly shuttered Marmot Mountain Works in Berkeley. I still have the skis and skins over a decade later, though a friend snapped one of the poles in half coming over Alpine Col.
#3 — Consignment gear stores are environmentally responsible
A lot of us talk a mean game about saving the planet. But we still crave the latest shiny object. Used gear stores let you indulge your lust for outdoor gear without increasing your carbon footprint. When you bring your stuff to a consignment store, you’re reducing waste, keeping that stuff in circulation and out of the landfill. It’s like driving an electric car. And if you trade your stuff for credit and use that credit for new-to-you gear, it’s like riding a bike right out of the dumpster fire of late stage capitalism and into some circular gift economy outdoor gear utopia.
#4 — Consignment gear stores have the coolest stuff
It’s not like shopping on Amazon; you can’t order by brand or model. It’s more like thrifting — you have to embrace the journey, instead of focus on the destination. You may strike out and not find anything you fancy. But you might strike gold and find a precious rare gem. I found a limited edition 6-ounce Camp climbing harness for $10 at Mammoth Mountaineering; they only made 600 of them.
#5 — Consignment gear stores can outfit you with more than just gear
You can find souvenirs, gifts, work clothes and yoga apparel at used gear stores. They often carry maps, locally made climber salve, stickers and postcards from local artists. Go ahead, make your friend’s day by buying them a $5 windbreaker or a $10 backpack. The most comfortable pair of leggings I own came from a used gear store, and I found my go to sports bra for $15 at a consignment store. That maroon tank top with the ram skull print? $3 at a consignment store.
Five Gear Stores to Love
1 — Gear Exchange
When the owner of Mammoth Mountaineering Supply realized folks down the valley were feeling left out, he opened the community-based Gear Exchange in Bishop. The OG of California consignment gear stores, it’s been going for over a decade. Folks drive many hours to sell their gear and pick up bargains from the overflowing racks. “I love interacting with folks and helping facilitate their adventures,” explains manager David Pearson. “We live in one of the most beautiful places to recreate, Bishop is ideal for skiing climbing, mountaineering. And the credit folks get from selling their gear can go towards new stuff at our Mammoth store, used stuff at our Bishop store, or cash in hand.”
2 — Tahoe Gear Exchange
Opened just a year and a half ago, the Tahoe Gear Exchange already has plans to double the size of their store to 3,000 square feet. Serving the greater Tahoe Basin, they are attracting sellers and buyers from as far away as Hawaii and Europe. “We started this more as a community resource. A lot of us had been driving our used gear to Bishop or Reno to sell!” explains founder Andrew Zaslove. “It’s so expensive to live here, but this store is one way we can give back to the community, get people some cash and checks for gear. That way they don’t have to work quite as much and they get to play a bit more.” With so many sponsored athletes, the Tahoe area is awash in high quality samples and gear that ends up in Zaslove’s store and could end up in your backpack.
3 — Patagonia Worn Wear
OK, it’s not a gear store, but Patagonia Worn Wear makes their exquisitely crafted outrageously expensive gear more accessible. Over a decade ago Patagonia began buying back carefully inspected used gear and offering it at serious discounts; like all Patagonia products it comes with over the top customer service, an ironclad guarantee and is fully refundable. And in 2022 they decided to donate all profits not reinvested in the company to a trust dedicated to addressing the climate crisis. Sure, clicking through pages on a website is not as much fun as strolling the aisles, and the gear you’ll find there is not quite as cheap as most consignment stores, but if you want to support Patagonia’s climate-change fighting ethos without breaking the bank, Worn Wear can help.
4 — REI Re/Supply
REI used to hold annual garage sales, where they sold all the gear their members had returned. During COVID they introduced Re/Supply, selling gently used gear to coop members at a fraction of the manufacturers suggested retail price. Members can trade in gear up to six years old for an REI gift card. It’s like each REI store now has a small thrifting section as well, but only available to members. They’ve kept thousands of pounds of gear out of landfills and in circulation.
5 — Gear Hut
When the pandemic shut down global supply chains, the Gear Hut in Reno, Nevada became the best stocked gear shop in town. “Because our supply chain is 100% community based, the pandemic actually increased our business,” explains co-founder Leah Wzientek. “REI was sending people to us!” She loves knowing where an item has been and imagining where it will go with its new owner. “All consignment stores are special, because removing any barriers to getting outside is amazing,” she says. “Getting more people outside means more people will care and more people will work to protect these places we love and play. All consignment gear stores are working together to make getting outdoors more accessible.”
MAIN IMAGE: Patagonia offers repair services in its stores and its distribution center in Reno, NV. Photo: © Andrew Burr / Patagonia
